I finally got my new Spartan 1911 in today. It took a bit longer than promised, but it arrived at my LGS this morning. I got there about an hour later, tore it down & cleaned it on the gunsmith's counter. I had just convinced this shop & shooting range to become a STI dealer.

As soon as it was clean enough for my immediate purposes, I took it into the range. Yeah, I know everyone waxes lyrical about their newest toy, but I'll try to be objective. Let me preface this by saying that this 1911 MSRP is $698.
With that in mind most of it is manufactuered in PI, but they all come back to STI for a QA/QC inspection. EVERY GUN, not just a few out of the shipment, is checked and test fired. It comes with the outstanding STI trigger mechanism. If it doesn't meet specs, it is fixed before it leaves the Texas plant, if it can't be fixed, it is scrapped. These folks are serious.

On to the pistol: fit and finish are well beyond what the price indicates. The sights are extremely good, slide is one of the smoothest I have ever seen straight from the box. Trigger slack is minimal and the trigger breaks crisply and smoothly.

If I can figure out how to post images in this new format I will post a picture of the pistol and my first & third magazine targets. Suprisingly good for the first time out of the box with a new pistol. Just points naturally. And I hate to admit it, but the wife came along and proceeded to outshoot me, she shot the 10 ring out with her second magazine....oh the shame. These were shot at 5 yards.
OK, I think I have the picture thing figured out!

very nice... classic.. but i havent seen an STI for under 1600. my favorite gun shop in Dallas likes STI alot and they or i have never heard anything bad and how could they be? i mean they are Texans... that maybe my next 1911